• 3/4 cup soy sauce (I used low-sodium shoyu or tamari plus more to taste)
• 1-1/2 cups water (I did add 1 cup more water to cover more of the chicken)
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 cup (dark) brown sugar (I used only 1/4 cup)
• one 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (I prefer to grate my ginger)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (I prefer to mince my garlic)
• 2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin on (I used bone-in chicken breasts and  I removed the skin)
• 1/2 Maui onion, peeled and cut into  wedges (I used a whole small Vidalia onion)
• 2-3 green onions, white and green parts, cut into 2-inch pieces plus slivers to garnish
• 1-1/2 tbsp. cornstarch (a slurry can be optional to thicken)
• sesame seeds, toasted to garnish
• steamed rice for serving
• mac salad for serving (I made a small salad with Creamy Asian Dressing – see recipe below)
• Takuan pickles –  I bought them from Amazon – NO THANK YOU! (see recipe below if interested) 

In a Dutch oven, mix the soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Nestle the thighs skin side up (or skinless bone-in breasts meat side up) in the sauce, submerging the meat as much as possible. Bring to a boil and then add the onion wedges and green onion. Cover with a lid and let simmer for 30 minutes. Using tongs, gently turn the meat over and cook another 15 minutes or so, covered. Remove the cooked meat from the sauce reserving it and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.

NOTE: Cut back on cooking time if using breasts to keep them from drying out

Preheat the broiler. I strained the sauce to remove the onions and any other sediment. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the sauce until smooth. Then add the cornstarch mixture back to the pot with the remaining sauce and cook over medium for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. You can cook it down to get a thicker sauce if you don’t want to make a slurry. Broil the meat for a minute or two, watching carefully to make sure you do not burn the skin.

NOTE: If desired, you can marinate the chicken overnight. There are other options for cooking such as oven braising, slow cooker or even using an Instant-pot.

Green Salad with Creamy Asian Dressing – this is very good and a perfect side

• 1/2 cup (low-fat) Hellmann’s mayo
• 1 tbsp. low sodium shoyu or tamari
• 2 tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. sesame oil
• 3 tbsp. sugar (I used 2 tbsp. honey)
• 1/2-1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate for 2 hours. Will keep for 1 week.

Takuan Pickles:

You can buy these at a store, online or make your own. I bought them online and did not care for them. They don’t have  a pickle taste (vinegar), have a crunchy texture and a slight sweet fllavor. The yellow slices added some nice color on the plate lunch, however.

• 1 large daikon radish
• 1/4 cup Hawaiian salt (alea)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 or 4 squeezes of yellow food coloring gel (optional)
• 1 Hawaiian chili pepper (nioi), thinly sliced (optional)

Cut the radish into 3/8-inch thick rounds and toss with the salt. Let sit uncovered at room temperature for 3 hours, then rise and squeeze out the excess water before packing it into a jar.

Combine the vinegar, sugar, food coloring and chili pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cool this mixture to room temperature. Pour it over the daikon slices and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 days or up to a week before serving. The pickles will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com